Arthur Fery returns to action after ‘life-changing’ Wimbledon run
• 3 minute read
Britain’s Arthur Fery returns to the match court this week in his first tournament since an historic run to the Wimbledon semi-finals.
He became only the second wild card to reach the final four, announcing himself to the British fans and tennis world on the biggest stage.
Having broken into the top-50 and claiming the title of British No.1, Fery is set to start his revised tournament schedule with a debut at the Cincinnati Open.
The Brit has just completed a training block at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) in Roehampton, gearing up for the American hard court swing, but the experience of Wimbledon is still fresh in his mind.
“So many memories,” Fery said during an exclusive interview at the NTC this week. “It’s all a little bit of a blur still. It was a lot of matches in a short amount of time and a lot of firsts.
“It was a lot to take in, and I’m slowly digesting it all. It was a life-changing fortnight.”
It was a tournament unlike any other for Fery, and for a British player reaching the latter stages of Wimbledon for the first time, there’s a lot of attention that comes with it.
In many respects, that can sometimes be as hard to manage as some of the matches, but the 24-year-old showed maturity beyond his years to block out the noise throughout the fortnight.
The mental part of the game has been a keen area of development for Fery, and the hard work paid off when he needed it most to deliver on court.
“I was the last Brit standing from the third round onwards so there was definitely attention on me, and I could tell,” he explained.
“I was able to just focus on myself and the tennis, which was the important thing, and not think about everything going on around me until it was done. I’ve worked a few years to get to that point where I can keep those distractions away.
“A few people reached out during Wimbledon, but I was trying not to look. I wasn’t replying to all the messages on WhatsApp. It’s a good thing to practice for those moments where it was carnage, and I was able to stay off social media.
“It’s a different experience, but at no point was it overwhelming for me.”
Amongst all the firsts, the records and the victories, there was one standout moment above all others for the Wimbledon-native – getting to play in front of his childhood idol, Roger Federer.
When asked in an old interview with the LTA back in 2020, Fery said that the 20-time Grand Slam champion was his favourite player of all time. Fast-forward to his fourth round clash with Grigor Dimitrov six years later, and the seven-time former champion had a front-row seat to watch the match in the Royal Box on Centre Court.
“I was very nervous,” Fery confessed. “I was nervous to play on Centre Court, and I told my coach before that I’d got to the fourth round, but I didn’t want to lose easily on Centre Court for the first time. That was my biggest fear before trying to win the match.
“I was in the locker room getting ready, and I turned the TV on just to see who was in the Royal Box, just to prepare myself. I saw Roger was there, and that made me way more nervous than if it was an actor or an athlete from a different sport.
“I got out there, got into the match, and ended up winning 7-6 in the fifth. It was an incredible experience.
“I was happy to put on that performance in front of Roger. I met him after but it was very brief. He said congrats and I ticked that box.”
As Fery gets underway in Cincinnati this week, it signals the start of a new phase in his career.
The ranking jump to a career-high world No.36 that followed his Wimbledon performances will mean that for the next year, the Briton will have the chance to get direct entry into the biggest tournaments of the tour, as well as the Grand Slams.
While there’s excitement for more firsts and getting to test himself consistently at the top level, Fery is aware of the challenges that lie ahead over the coming months.
“That’s the major change for me,” he said. “Finally feeling like I belong on the tour. It’s what all players strive for, to be able to play on the ATP Tour and at the top of the game.
“There’s definitely a period of adaptation; I’m not chasing that feeling of wanting to reach top-100. It’s going to be tough, playing only top tournaments, top opponents week in week out. It’s not like the Challengers where you can start the first couple of rounds with guys lower-ranked.
“It’s a change and I have to get ready for that but I feel like my level, my tennis and my mind are all ready for that now.”
